Barnstable’s ride ends

Thursday

Dec 6, 2012 at 2:00 AMDec 6, 2012 at 11:00 PM

The Barnstable Red Raiders had a truly spectacular 2012 season, but it came to a heartbreaking end Dec. 1 when they fell 20-19 to the Crimson Tide of Everett in the MIAA Div. 1A Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium.

Kathleen Szmit

Kathleen Szmit Photos

ALL OVER IT – A slew of Barnstable defenders, including Ryan Litchman (44), Derek Estes (23) and Kevin Hardy (11), takes down an Everett runner during the MIAA Div. 1A Super Bowl Dec. 1 at Gillette Stadium.

Everett dashes Super Bowl dream Playing with the support of more than 1,000 fans who made the trek to Foxborough and braved cold temps and light snow, the Raiders battled back from a 20-6 deficit to come within serious striking distance, but a wayward kick and at least one bad call proved their downfall.

The game was a rematch of the two best teams in Eastern Mass, with the result leaving both Everett and Barnstable with identical 11-1 overall records, with the Red Raiders savoring an undefeated 11-0 regular season that included a double overtime victory against the Tide earlier in the year.

Though there were certainly glitches in the game matrix for the Raiders, they played to win, their defense stopping Everett cold on its opening drive.

Unfortunately, Barnstable couldn’t convert on its first possession, either. The Tide put the first TD on the board with a 30-yard interception return to take a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Barnstable’s first score came on a fumble recovered by Dereck Pacheco, with quarterback Nick Peabody handing the ball off to Hayden Murphy, who set things up nicely for Peabody to find Tedaro France open for a 9-yard toss. A failed two-point conversion set the score at 7-6 Everett.

In spite of a heroic effort by the Red Raider defense, the Tide capitalized on cold fingers and bobbled balls to take a 13-6 lead at the half.

Barnstable came close to tying the game before the half when an alert Derek Estes snagged an interception on a pass, but a Peabody sack ended the Raiders’ drive.

After their foes scored again in the third for a 20-6 edge, Barnstable rallied with France connecting with Peabody for a beautiful 76-yard race into the end zone to narrow the Tide’s lead to 13-20 heading into the final quarter.

The drama began when Peabody found France open early in the fourth for a 30-yard TD that put the Red Raiders within one point of their longtime off-Cape rivals.

As Barnstable’s defense continued hammering away at Everett, the offense stepped up on its end, staying in the game even after a wide kick after its final TD.

Then, with the score hanging at that one-point edge, the Raiders appeared by numerous accounts to have recovered an Everett fumble in the final minutes. As excitement swelled in the stands, all hands seemed to point to a Barnstable possession, with hopes dashed when the official deemed it a downed ball.

As their Red Raiders left the field where greats like Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski play, thunderous applause from their fans carried them off, Raider Pride visible on every face.